21 August, 2012

NAAB Iranian Fine Cuisine @ Bukit Bintang, KL

Here's the way towards an affair with truly Iranian / Persian cuisine!

Strolling along the noisy Bukit Bintang road, I'm glad to find a perfect Iranian fine dining restaurant, Naab Restaurant which gives a total contrast of tranquility from the chaotic street.

The restaurant is more precisely known as "Naab Business & Dining Center" and it comprises of 4 storeys, catering for your needs whether to dine ala carte, buffet style, or organizing functions and weddings.

I was like, "Wow!" as I entered their ballroom and private dining rooms.

Stepping into the banquet room makes me feel as if I'm from the royals, being welcomed with exquisiteinteriors that echo the grandness of an ancient imperial dining hall.

Kerman, the multi purpose hall at Naab.

The team of kitchen brought the art of traditional and contemporary Persian cuisine all the way from Iran and now share with us Malaysians on how the heavy usage of Persian herbs and spices can turn the food into presentable, aromatic and nutritious ones.

What's the Difference between Iranian & Middle Eastern Cuisine?

Iranians focus more on using herbs and spices along with proper marination without overwhelming the flavours. The foodstuff are all well-cooked, tasty and good in balancing body heat.

SALAD

To begin the journey with truly Iranian cuisine, you should head for the medley of dips and salad, accompanied with Naab's specially homemade naan. The foodstuff here is not over-flavoured but just tasty enough to savour with strong aroma from spices.

The signature homemade Naab bread is freshly baked, and bursting with flavours when it is taken hot. The initially tasteless bread actually has a light sweetness, and best dipped into the tangy, vibrant mixture of chickpeas, garlic and yogurt. Such Iranian staple food has become my favourite too!

#1 Naab Special Salad

If you are split between choices on the salad bar, then the house special salad is what you should go for as it comprises of all fresh vegetables, beans and eggs with special house dressing.

Apart from the fresh pea salad, Tabouleh still tops my list of favourites after numerous encounters with Iranian fare. The mixture of balghur, tomato, cucumber and mint is well-seasoned with herbs and lime juice, giving a refreshing taste which opens up my palate.

#4 Left: Persian Fatush

Middle: Hore D'vers

Right: Shirazi Salad

Personally, I prefer something less gravy, and the Persian Fatush comes just at the nick of time. It is a perfect enjoyment to munch away the crispy bread with chunks of tomato, cucumber and bell peppers.

APPETIZER

#5 Top left: Carrot Halva (Carrot)

Top right: Dolma (Stuffed Vegetables)

Bottom left: Kashk O Bademjan (Fried smashed eggplant)

Bottom right: Mirza Ghasemi (Smoked eggplant)

Among the few selections of eggplant dips, the most memorable one is Mirza Ghasemi, a mixture of smoked eggplant which is very rich in flavours, complemented with the simple combination of tomato, egg and garlic.

The Siakap fish, native to Australia, is deep-fried with chef's special recipe yet does not overshadow the sweetness of the flesh while retaining its firmness.

#10 Naab Spinach Roll Chicken

You may not be a fan of kebabs, but what not to miss is the tender chicken rolls stuffed with spinach. It is grilled to golden perfection, revealing sweet savoury taste from the soft, juicy meat.

#11 Top left: Celery Stew

Top right: Meat Stew

Bottom left: Gheymeh Stew

Bottom right: Ghormeh Sabzi Stew

The top favourites, Gheymeh Stew & Ghormeh Sabzi Stew are perfect combination of stew beef cuts with rich herbs and spices. The former has a myriad flavours from the tomato paste and chickpeas while the latter is slow-cooked with fried diced herbs and red beans.

#12 Lamb Shank

Moving on, we are introduced with an exotic Iranian dish made of fine cuts of lamb shank. The marinade is well-suffused into the lamb and I enjoy its firm texture with sufficient moisture within each layer of the meat.

#13 Meat Rollet

#14 Okra Stew with Meat

#15 Top left: Chicken with Bone

Top right: Oven Chicken

Bottom: Chicken Cutlet

To complement with Malaysian palates, Naab also offers a wide range of Asian flavours which are equally delicious with mild herbs and spices used during preparation.

#16 Top left: Beriyani Rice

Top right: Dill-Broad Bean Rice

Bottom left: Noodle Rice

Bottom right: Long Bean Rice

Among the selections of rice, my favourite is the pale, greenish Broad Bean Rice because of its buttery, slighty bitter and nutty tastes. So unique it may sound, because it is my first time sampling the soft Iranian rice.

#17 Saffron Rice

Of course, nothing can beat the staple rice- Saffron Rice. Saffron adds a distinctive color into the rice, allowing it to glow in yellow and tastes like honey with slight bitterness at the edge.

#18 Left: Barley Soup

Middle: Haleem

Right: Ash Noodle

DESSERT

To put a sweet ending to the sumptuous meal, I head to the dessert bar for the traditional Iranian pastry, Baklava as well as some fresh fruit cuts. The pastry is rather rich and sweet with layers of flavours from the sugar syrup, rose water and nuts.

#19 Colorful Malaysian Traditional Kuih

#20 Assorted Deep-Fried Kuih

#21 Dates

#22 Top: Egg Custard

Bottom: Orange Cream Caramel

The Orange Cream Caramel may not look as good, but the taste is rather promising, with its lovely citrus flavour from a zest of orange juice infused in milk.

#23 Top: Zolbia & Bamieh

Bottom: Goush Fill

Zolbia and Bamieh to Persiansare like Kimchi to Koreans, no households can miss this at home during festive seasons. It is rather sweet with rich syrup flavour but not too cloying after all.

SPECIAL

#24 Iranian Tea

The tea is naturally red, lightly scented and delicious even without adding sugar or milk. The fairly light taste is just nice unless for those who prefer heavier note of taste.

Alternatively, if you'd just go for your favourite picks, then ala carte menu is available everyday to cater for your needs. Seasonal menu is available at certain periods, so I think I'd be back for Naab's Spaghetti with Special Sauce, Kofta (Iranian stewed meatballs, sliced potato & carrot) as well as Naab Goosht (Iranian broth made of tender mutton, bean, chickpea, potato & tomato).

I was in KL that day but I did not stay in the Bukit Bintang area like I would usually and I did not get to try any mid-eastern cuisine on my short weekend stay there. Will definitely try one of those eateries in the area one of these days. So Iranian is spicy, eh? Oooo...that, I like!!!

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